"Lord Tachibana Muneshige, sneaking into another country to sabotage things doesn't suit your status."
Sarutobi Hiruzen leaped down from the roof and landed on the still-buzzing Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Danzō bit his lip, clutching his forearm as he jumped backward, drenched in cold sweat.
Tachibana Muneshige flicked his long blade, then beckoned with one hand. The short blade whistled through the air and returned to his grip.
Tachibana Muneshige laughed heartily. "Ha ha! What can I do? That person asked me to come and die, so here I am.
"Young man, coming to Konoha wasn't my wish. I simply had no choice." Tachibana Muneshige spoke to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, in the casual tone of an old neighbor chatting over the fence.
Orochimaru and quite a few ANBU had come with the Third Hokage.
Mitarai Zixiao scribbled away in his notebook, recording something.
The shinobi arriving one after another whispered among themselves. One jonin said in disbelief, "No way. That kind of power came from a kid?"
Another jonin replied quietly, "It's true. I saw it with my own eyes!"
With a loud rip, the blond swordsman tore off a large piece of clothing. After hastily bandaging his wound, he tied the kunai in his hand to his already somewhat deformed left hand!
Just then, an ANBU shinobi approached Asuma, hoping to bandage him, but Asuma clung stubbornly to the corpse and refused to let go.
The ANBU simply shook his head and began bandaging Asuma.
"Come, young one. Grant this old man an honorable defeat." Tachibana Muneshige raised the corners of his eyes and spoke in a booming voice. He shook the blood from his long blade and flourished it.
"Hmph, Hiruzen, you took too long to get here." Shimura Danzō had finished bandaging his injured arm and finally spoke to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Ah, sorry, senior. I'm coming."
The Third Hokage ignored Danzō. He merely nodded to Tachibana Muneshige and prepared to attack!
Sarutobi Hiruzen crouched slightly, then leaped forward and landed lightly. His right hand snatched up the Ruyi Jingu Bang as he charged at Tachibana Muneshige.
Danzō pressed his lips together, drew a kunai, and charged at Tachibana Muneshige too.
Everyone else retreated far away. A fight between these three could easily turn deadly.
Jiraiya and Shimura Yong Ren charged at the other man, their eyes red.
Gamakichi had already returned. The conditions here weren't favorable for him.
Orochimaru glanced at Asuma, who was sobbing uncontrollably, then at the dazed Bingsan. He curled his lip but showed no intention of helping Jiraiya.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō attacked side by side. Tachibana Muneshige merely raised his long blade slowly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen swung his staff. Tachibana Muneshige blocked with his long blade and sidestepped Danzō's thrusting kunai, then swept his right leg toward him.
Danzō dodged to the right. On his left, Sarutobi Hiruzen swung the staff back, attacking again from the opening Danzō had left.
Tachibana Muneshige's kick missed, and he used its momentum to dodge to the side. Sarutobi Hiruzen's strike also missed, and he pursued with the staff raised.
Tachibana Muneshige retreated half a step, then charged forward again, his left hand on the short blade and his right gripping the long one. The three of them formed a triangular formation.
Tachibana Muneshige's gaze sharpened. He pressed down lightly with his feet, and faint Chakra spread along both his arms.
Tachibana Muneshige shouted, "Ninja Art: Half-Moon Slash!"
Holding the short blade in his left hand and the long one in his right, he spun once with his body, creating two semicircular arcs of light—one high and one low, one large and one small. They looked like half a crescent moon.
The Third Hokage furrowed his brow. With a clang, he blocked the long blade with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, then leaped backward.
Danzō raised his kunai to block, only for the short blade to sever it instantly. His face turned livid, and his small eyes narrowed to slits as he flipped away.
Seizing the opening, Tachibana Muneshige turned his long blade and slashed horizontally at the now-weaponless Danzō.
Danzō hurriedly retreated to evade. Tachibana Muneshige struck twice more in quick succession, and Danzō barely dodged both attacks, first to the left, then to the right.
After flipping backward and landing, the Third Hokage formed Hand Seals. With two poofs, two Shadow Clones appeared on either side of him and quickly began forming Hand Seals.
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet.
Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet.
The Third Hokage himself formed Hand Seals and unleashed a jutsu: Wind Release: Windfang!
Combined Ninjutsu: Wind Fireball.
As soon as the jutsu was unleashed, Shimura Danzō, who had been struggling to hold on, suddenly changed his demeanor.
Danzō raised his middle and index fingers together in front of his chest and shouted, "Open!"
With a boom, a gust of wind erupted beneath his feet. Danzō shot up into the air and leaped backward, dodging the two incoming strikes before landing steadily on the partially destroyed earthen wall. It turned out he had only been feigning weakness to lure his enemies in.
In an instant, the Third Hokage's combined jutsu was upon them. Tachibana Muneshige immediately abandoned his pursuit of Danzō, spun around, and pulled the long and short hilts together. They joined to form a spear. He shouted, "Ninja Art: Dragonfly Cross Slash!"
With two swishes, one vertical and one horizontal, two blue slashes appeared, cutting the Third Hokage's combined jutsu into four. Only a few stray flames struck Tachibana Muneshige.
Tachibana Muneshige shook his mustache, but before he could catch his breath, the Third Hokage attacked again.
The Third Hokage crouched slightly to gather strength, then leaped high and swung his staff down. Tachibana Muneshige raised his spear to block.
With a clang, a shockwave spread, making the nearby jonin's ears ring.
With a rumble, a dilapidated house nearby was shaken apart.
The Third Hokage took the opportunity to kick Tachibana Muneshige in the chest. But Tachibana Muneshige had been ready for it. He barely felt the impact and used it to leap backward.
Danzō had just steadied himself on the earthen wall behind them. His eyes flashed with cold light. Biting his lip through the pain in his forearm, he quickly formed Hand Seals.
Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!
A barely visible blade of wind came at Tachibana Muneshige. Suspended in midair with nowhere to dodge, he could only twist his body to evade. With a swish, the wind blade cut through the band tying up his hair.
Tachibana Muneshige had barely landed when the Third Hokage's staff swept toward him again.
With his hair hanging loose, Tachibana Muneshige spun his body, the spear rotating rapidly around his waist.
With a clang, it struck the Ruyi Jingu Bang. The staff was knocked aside by the spinning spear, leaving the Third Hokage's chest wide open!
Tachibana Muneshige's eyes flashed. He pulled with his right hand and lifted with his left, transforming the spear into two blades. The long blade slashed toward the Third Hokage's chest.
A flash of steel crossed the Third Hokage's eyes. With a poof, the long blade struck a wooden log.
The Third Hokage appeared atop the earthen wall, standing side by side with Danzō.
Danzō had taken a Substitution Jutsu Wood from his Sealing Scroll and placed it beside him.
It had happened in the blink of an eye!
The Third Hokage took out three shuriken and threw them. Then the two of them began forming Hand Seals together.
Ninja Art: Wind Release: Shuriken.
Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
The three shuriken multiplied into a sea of Wind Release: Shuriken, flying toward Tachibana Muneshige from every direction.
Perhaps this was what the jutsu had been developed for. Calling it an S-rank technique wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Tachibana Muneshige watched the vast swarm of buzzing Wind Release: Shuriken approach. His eyes narrowed, and he sheathed both blades. Standing still, he gripped the hilt and began gathering strength.
Tachibana Muneshige's silver-white hair fluttered as waves of force rippled outward from him.
"Haah! Secret Technique: Draw!"
With a loud shout, a golden radiance flashed across Tachibana Muneshige's body, and a gigantic ring-shaped slash hurtled in every direction.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted. He grabbed Bingsan and Asuma and used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.
A buzzing sound rang out. After one slash, the sky cleared and the earth was bare. Everything in its path had been cut down, and the ground had been swept clean.
Orochimaru fled with Bingsan and Asuma without looking back.
It was well past midnight when Danzō finally returned home, wrapped in bandages and reeking of medicine.
It seemed Tachibana Muneshige had little chance of surviving.
For some reason, although Bingsan had been attacked and his guards had been killed, he didn't hate the old man known as Tachibana Muneshige. The only things the old man had left him with were profound respect and longing.
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